Manage Your Family Finances better by Sophia Hayden
Money is not evil, everyone loves to have money in order to get things done. However, the love of money is evil.
Money is not evil, everyone loves to have money in order to get things done. However, the love of money is evil.
“…every man heard them speak in his own language.” Acts 2: 6b
On the day of Pentecost, the Bible informs us that this momentous event was heard in all languages. No language was left out. The 21st Century is science and technology driven. Will it be right to ignore the language of science and technology when propagating the gospel?Before we answer the question, it is pertinent to look at the past.
The Bible was written in the agrarian age when society depended on agriculture as it primary means for support. The parable of the sower, The Parable of the Mustard seed, and the Parable of the Wicked Husbandman are just a few pointers to this. The imageries and language used were apt because they were concepts that people understood and identified with.
Biblical principles are timeless but it will be reasonable to say that if the Bible was penned in the 21st Century, a few technological parables may have been included. I believe that without using the language of science and technology, it will be difficult to connect to a certain population of people.
Many people believe that science and spirituality are polar opposite but from the Christian perspective they are not. From the biblical perspective, the spiritual realm is stable, predictable, certain, reliable. In Psalm 19:7 we are told that the law of the Lord is perfect. If the Biblical spiritual laws are not amorphous it therefore implies that it can be subjected to scientific scrutiny and expressed using the scientific language.
Science is like the Biblical doubting Thomas and does not believe anything without evidence. In other words, science does not have blind faith. Although Our Lord Jesus rebuked Thomas for his unbelief, nevertheless He spoke to him in a language that he understood.
In this era of wireless communication, I pray that the good Lord will give the church the boldness to speak with the new tongue of science which is part of the new tongues promised in Mark 16:17. A careful observer will not fail to recognize that communication with God is wireless!
Iniobong T. Ekpo is the author of the book “The Spirit Transplant – The Science of God Decoded“.
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Dear Iniobong (my brother and friend), thank you for your article. As always this is another ‘deep thinking stuff’. It is crisp, concise and deep.
I agree with you that for effectiveness in propagating the gospel and winning souls, it is to the Church’s advantage to speak in ‘the new age language’. As you cited in Acts 2, the observers that gathered on the Day of Pentecost marveled and were amazed on hearing their respective languages spoken by strangers.
“And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?”
Acts 2:6-8 NKJV
Science is by default evidence based and it is never totally satisfied. And as you rightly pointed out, the Word of God is timeless, powerful and forever settled. As Christians, I believe our quest for knowledge and evidence as regards our belief can be guided by Luke 11:29 and James 1:6-8. This would be helpful to quickly recognize and clip even the smallest iota of doubt which may be subtly presenting as a quest for evidence.
“And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.”
Luke 11:29 NKJV
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:6-8 NKJV
The Word of God is powerful in and of itself. Such is the power that brought on another round of amazement and bewilderment on another group of observers as Peter, an uneducated unscientific fellow preached….
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13 NKJV
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Friends, remember you can now publish on Grace Obomanu Blog (under the Christian Life Saving Skills Category). Simply email your articles to graceobomanu@gmail.com. Together we are making known the Beauty and Benefits of our Belief, thereby giving others the opportunity to believe too. That is what the Father’s Business is all about.
Love Always❤
Grace Obomanu
A budget is a guide. Start with what you can come up with and refine it over time. A poor budget is better than no budget at all. So don’t wait for a perfect one.
Prayer is conversation, communication and fellowship with God borne out of love and with a consciousness of what God has already done in the sacrifice of His son Jesus.
It is important we understand that the effectiveness or efficacy of prayer doesn’t have much to do with it’s length, how often we pray, or the intensity of our shout but rather it is our faith in God and His word that matters (Hebrews 11:6). Importantly effective prayers must be in line with God’s will, plan and purpose for us.
Talking about length of Prayer, Jesus was a bit disappointed that Peter, and the other 2 disciples couldn’t pray with Him for at least an hour(Matthew 26:40). While this doesn’t in anyway mean that God doesn’t have ears for shorter prayers, it might guide minimum time spent in prayer.
And ofcourse we remember Jesus’ story of the widow who wearied a king with repeated request for same thing (Luke 18:5). So praying about one thing over and over may not guarantee it will receive the expected response, but praying without ceasing is an admonition from scripture we don’t want to forget in a hurry (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Below are five guides for effective prayer.
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
Summarily, we have a Father who is willing and able to meet all our requests. This is our confidence.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I John 5:14 NKJV
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Thank you so much Ada for your article. Indeed, prayer is a life saving skill every Christian should learn. As you rightly pointed out effective prayers are those prayed in the Spirit and according to the Word offered with thanksgiving and in the name of Jesus.
God bless you Ada.
Friends, a few years ago, someone wrote us on Talk With Grace Obomanu, my online Christian Counseling platform on Facebook asking why God hasn’t answered his prayers. Our response to him is shared here …….Why Hasn’t God Answered Me? Be blessed.
Remember you can now publish on Grace Obomanu Blog (under the Christian Life Saving Skills Category). Simply email your articles to graceobomanu@gmail.com. Together we are making known the Beauty and Benefits of our Belief, thereby giving others the opportunity to believe too. That is what the Father’s Business is all about.
Love Always
Grace Obomanu.
At times like this it is important to prioritize and identify what are needs (essentials) and what are wants (non-essentials).
I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour”. We wage war in order to have peace, we work in order to have leisure, we produce food in order to eat it. So your job is the one for which all others exist…”
I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour”. We wage war in order to have peace, we work in order to have leisure, we produce food in order to eat it. So your job is the one for which all others exist…”
By ‘chosen generation’, it means you have been selected from a pack on a mission. Therefore it ought to reflect in the way you turn up as a distinguished personality on a mission.
By ‘chosen generation’, it means you have been selected from a pack on a mission. Therefore it ought to reflect in the way you turn up as a distinguished personality on a mission.